# CVE-2026-14490: Demi <= 0.0.6 - Unauthenticated Arbitrary Directory Deletion via demi_restore_step AJAX action

> Unauthenticated attackers can delete arbitrary directories on the server by exploiting exposed keys and missing path checks in the Demi WordPress plugin.

- **Severity:** High 7.5 (`CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:N`)
- **Exploited in the wild:** Not known
- **Login needed:** Not needed
- **Attackable:** Over the internet
- **Victim action needed:** Not needed
- **Fix available:** No
- **Published:** 28 Jul 2026
- **Updated:** 28 Jul 2026
- **Also known as:** GHSA-8mj8-7gxm-p63p

## What is CVE-2026-14490?

CVE-2026-14490 is a high-severity path traversal vulnerability in deveasel Demi – One Click Demo Import, Backup & Site Migration, published on 28 Jul 2026. An attacker can exploit it over the internet without logging in, with no action from the victim.

### Official description

The Demi – One Click Demo Import, WP Backup & Site Migration plugin for WordPress is vulnerable to Arbitrary Directory Deletion in all versions up to, and including, 0.0.7. The vulnerability exists because the plugin stores its HMAC signing key and per-step restore token as dotfiles inside a publicly accessible subdirectory of the WordPress uploads folder — without any `.htaccess` or index file protection — and the `demi_restore_step` AJAX handler, registered for unauthenticated callers, explicitly accepts possession of the on-disk signing key as a standalone alternative to WordPress capability and nonce checks; an unauthenticated attacker who retrieves the exposed key can forge a valid signed state envelope to invoke `CleanDir::execute()` with a caller-supplied absolute path that is subject to no allow-list or path-canonicalization check. This makes it possible for unauthenticated attackers to recursively delete arbitrary directories on the server.

Weakness: CWE-22 (Improper Limitation of a Pathname to a Restricted Directory)

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2026-14490?


## How do I fix CVE-2026-14490?

No fix has been published for CVE-2026-14490 yet. Limit exposure of the affected software until one is available.

## Is CVE-2026-14490 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2026-14490 in the wild and no public exploit code.

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2026-14490 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2026-14490 is a high-severity path traversal vulnerability in deveasel Demi – One Click Demo Import, Backup & Site Migration, published on 28 Jul 2026. An attacker can exploit it over the internet without logging in, with no action from the victim.
Exploitation: There is no known exploitation of CVE-2026-14490 in the wild and no public exploit code.

Affected product: deveasel Demi – One Click Demo Import, Backup & Site Migration. No package-level version data is available, so check the vendor advisory linked from the reference page.

Task:
1. Search the dependency manifests and lockfiles (for example package.json, package-lock.json, requirements.txt, poetry.lock, uv.lock, pom.xml, build.gradle, go.mod, Cargo.lock, Gemfile.lock) and any Dockerfiles for the affected packages, including transitive dependencies.
2. If an affected version is in use, upgrade it to the fixed version for its release line with the project's package manager, so the lockfile is regenerated. Prefer the smallest upgrade that fixes it.
3. If there is no fix, or the upgrade would break the build, do not guess: explain the risk and the safest workaround instead.
4. Run the tests and summarise what changed and why.
5. If nothing in the project is affected, say so and change nothing.

Reference: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-14490/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-14490/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2026-14490
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-14490
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2026-14490

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From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-14490/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.